Police Fear Illegal Number Plates are Getting Through MOT Testing
A police officer has raised fears that cars might be getting through MOT tests with illegal number plates. The issue has been brought to light because of the many cars found to have non-compliant plates, but with their owners claiming that they had passed the MOT.
Drivers May Be Swapping Number Plates for MOT Test
Mark Anderson, spokesman for Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, says that every day police officers enforcing the regulations and stopping “lots of cars” that are breaking number plate rules. The first thing that most drivers say is that their car got through the MOT test with no problem.
Mr Anderson said that he wanted to clarify whether the cars are passing the test with the illegal plates on. Or are drivers changing the plates just to get the MOT done and then putting the illegal plates back on. The number of vehicles displaying non-compliant number plate suggests the latter might be the case.
The DVSA Hits Back at Claims
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has hit back at the suggestion that MOT testers are passing vehicles with illegal number plates.
A spokesperson for the DVSA said, “We know MOT testers correctly fail vehicles with non-standard number plates. The national MOT failure data proves this. There is no incentive for an MOT tester to pass a non-standard number plate. DVSA takes strong action against any poor-quality MOT tests which can include a ban from testing.”
As well as failing the MOT test, drivers having non-standard number plates can be fined up to £1,000. Incorrectly displayed registration plates can also mean an MOT failure and a potential fine.
Could Connected Technology Be the Answer?
Many drivers flout the law by driving cars with show plates or personalised number plates with non-standard characters, incorrect spacing and strategically placed screws to change the appearance of the numbers. It’s easy enough to change to legal plates for the MOT test.
However, the simple use of connected technology could put a stop to the practice. It would also remove the human error factor of mechanics missing illegal plates. During the test, the vehicle is put onto a roller brake tester. If starting the MOT brake test also took a picture of the car and stored the image in a database, it could stop various types of MOT fraud.
When a driver claims their car passed the MOT with its illegal number plates, the police could bring up the image to see whether or not the driver is telling the truth.
Only Get Your Personalised Number Plates from a Registered Supplier
Plenty of unscrupulous number plate dealers will sell illegal plates to unsuspecting buyers as well as those who choose to break the law. To avoid any problems and a potential heavy fine, only buy your personalised number plates from a registered supplier such as Carreg. It’s even more important with new regulations coming into force on 1st January, 2021. With over 30 years in the industry, we are respected and trusted dealers. Find your perfect personalised number plates on our website today.
